NFL places three players on commissioner’s exempt list amid criminal charges
The league put Seattle cornerback Terrion Arnold, Denver linebacker Jonathon Cooper and Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs on the exempt list, barring them from play while they remain on payroll as they face separate criminal cases.
The NFL announced that Seattle Seahawks cornerback Terrion Arnold, Denver Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper and Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs have been placed on the commissioner’s exempt list. The move removes the players from active rosters but continues to pay their game checks, a practice the league describes as a form of paid leave while investigations proceed.
All three athletes face criminal charges. Arnold is accused of participating in an armed robbery and kidnapping in Florida. Cooper faces misdemeanor and felony domestic-violence allegations, including a charge of strangulation, after a June incident in Colorado. Jacobs was charged with misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property following a domestic dispute in Wisconsin.
The exempt list, rarely used before 2014, allows the league to sideline players pending investigation without a set reinstatement date. Teams received the list just before finalizing their 53-player rosters for the upcoming season.
"The team is taking what happened very seriously and will continue to support Jonathon," Broncos general manager George Paton said, adding that Cooper will remain involved in team meetings.
Jacobs’ attorneys emphasized that prosecutors have not filed domestic-violence charges and that the case will be addressed in court. The league’s use of the exempt list has drawn commentary that, while presented as a neutral administrative step, effectively serves as a punitive measure pending legal outcomes.